Scopri la nostra offerta Complete catalog of wineries Join the conversation
Forum All the wineries
on the Google map Community poll
Want to write a wine blog?
Or
Click on a region to view the regional wineries
How to read a wine label
Useful TipsA short guide to learn the fundamentals on reading an Italian wine label. To choose a wine among the many wines in the stores it is essential to know how to read the label. Beyond the mandatory information, wine producers add many other useful information to choose a wine ...
The label of a bottle of wine is not only the dress (the visual tool that allows us to distinguish between the others), but is also a fundamental source of information for consumers, a genuine identity card of the wine. The information contained on the bottle label are determined by national rules in force and those of individual disciplines.
The information required: all are information that must necessarily be present in the label and identify the type of wine, the producer and the region. This information, though important, are not helpful in choosing a wine among many, since they are present on all the bottles on the market.
- the amount of product contained in the bottle (liters or milliliters cl).
- The batch production that identifies the bottles produced at times and under identical circumstances, it is generally formed by an alphanumeric sequence preceded by the letter L.
- The identification of the manufacturer (ie business name, location, nation only if the bottle is exported)
- The European label for packages marked with the letter E.
- The alcohol content with a tolerance of 0.5% by volume.
- In 2005 became mandatory to indicate the possible presence of sulfites.
-
The classification (table wine, DOC, DOCG, IGT, VSQ, VSQA ,...)
-
For DOC and DOCG is mandatory to include the area referred to by the acronym VQPRD.
- IGT wines are asked for an indication of the geographical area.
- For sparkling wines, it is compulsory to indicate the method of froth (Traditional or Charmat method):
Optional information: More and more manufacturers add additional information to help in choosing a bottle between the hundreds found on store shelves. Although they are written with the clear purpose to guide our choice in the right direction, these are the information that we have to learn to read, to choose consciously.
The name of the wine: the information value is nearly zero, it only helps to recognize the bottle of many.
Color: very dark bottles do not allow to recognize the content. It is the first thing we see to choose.
The residual sugar: dry or sweet. It 'a first aid for a correct pairing. The higher the sweetness of the wine the more will be suitable for a food with sweet taste.
Tips for the pairing: this is one of the most sensitive information: the producers always tend to expand the range of possible combinations possible, but certainly never indicate a match totally unfair. Consider carefully the recommended pairings, trying to exclude the extremes (as its done for votes for diving in the Olympics!)
The grapes used and the method of vinification, aging and maturing: for those who know the characteristics of the grapes it is the only truly relevant information, from which one can understand what's really in the bottle. Each grape variety has its own features (tastes and aromas that can be very different), which can be changed, but not disrupted by the method of vinification. Important is whether the wine has a passage in wood and for how long, as this procedure can greatly alter the characteristics of wine: wines with long aging cannot be paired with very delicate foods, but are perfect for savory dishes and structured.
The vintage: if quoted refers to the year of harvest and only if the grapes were all harvested in the same year. This display can help to undertand the maturing of the wine and to assess the quality (we all know, in fact, that some years are better than others)
Tweet
